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FlatWorld released the results of an October 2018 survey of 334 undergraduate students on how college textbook costs affect their educational experiences. Key findings include the following:

Textbook prices affect class enrollment—One third of respondents reported that textbook prices have impacted their decision on whether to take a class.

Professor ratings suffer if textbooks are too expensive—More than 70 percent of respondents reported rating, or been asked to rate, their professors in the last 12 months. For textbooks priced between $100 and $200, more than half of respondents (55 percent) reported that the textbook price has a negative effect on how they rate professors. For textbooks priced above $200, more than 70 percent of respondents reported that the textbook price has a negative effect on how they rate professors.

The amount students spend on textbooks varies greatly—Respondents reported spending $403 on average for textbooks during the fall 2018 semester. 24 percent of respondents paid less than $250, 55 percent paid between $250 and $600, and 21 percent paid more than $600.